RIBs started out life as rescue boats in the commercial sector of the marine market and are considered one of the most dramatic developments to have taken place in recent boating history, becoming what is probably the most seaworthy and practical boat for its size anywhere in the world.
RIBs have enjoyed tremendous success in the commercial and military sectors but nobody could have predicted the level of uptake in the leisure market with new builders, exciting designs and applications
– many from the UK – leading the way.
This growth boosted the popularity of RIBs for racing but a limited number of events, only a few active clubs and the lack of an established promoter has seen boat numbers dwindle. Fortunately that is all about to change.
Entering its 7th year in 2017, the P1 Grand Prix of the Sea is the pinnacle of marine motorsport in the UK and a firm fixture in every powerboat racing enthusiast’s diary. Identical P1 SuperStock boats put driver skill in the spotlight, while the P1 AquaX jet-ski championship provides thrills and spills aplenty.
Add to this the new P1 International RIB Championship and each season sees several exciting and dramatic championship weekends at leading venues around the UK.Race weekends attract more than 150,000 spectators annually and events take place in England, Wales and Scotland between May and September each year.
P1’s television broadcasts reach more than 400m homes in 106 countries.
A conventional, non-stepped 18° deadrise deep vee hull with three parallel spray rails.
Powered by the new Evinrude 200 HO G2 engine – a class leading choice with unrivalled torque, fuel efficiency and features. The engine is mounted directly to the transom and attached to a reinforced inner transom plate.
The cockpit features reinforced side protection for the crew to shoulder height. Additional protection for both driver and navigator – in the form of a 75mm diameter aluminium tube – is bonded in under the top radius of the cockpit.
The ergonomically designed console features two side-by-side custom race seats mounted to a base suspension system, each with adjustable gas shock, with fore and aft adjustment fitted to deck. There is also space for an optional rear bench seat for use in a leisure configuration.
The deck is fully moulded, with a non-slip finish and features two foredeck hatches that accesses the under-deck, water-tight lockers. The tapered tubes are bonded to the hull and made of Hypalon.
20 inch high, ply insert, two large knees running down into stringers, two self-bailing devices, automatic bilge pump well, custom cover plate, drain bung, two tow / lifting eyes. Powder coated aluminium inner transom bolt brace.
An under-deck stainless steel fuel tank with capacity of 130 litres enables teams to enter events over a wide variety of distances and formats.
Single foredeck cleat, bow eye, two aft pop up cleats. Aero-style aluminium fuel filler and breather. 3 navigator grab rails. Two tapped flush female camera mounting bosses; two foredeck access handrails. Removable LED navigation light system. Icom M323 (or similar), DSC linked to plotter, stub antenna. 7” colour plotter. Hydrive hydraulic system for G2 Engine, thermoplastic hoses, black helm wheel. Digital, mounted to moulded footboard with non-slip textured surface. Evinrude digital binnacle control. Evinrude Icom 4.3 CTS display / key switch panel. Plastimo 105 offshore. The vessel sits on a single axle braked trailer with spare wheel, making it easy to tow behind a standard family car. With bespoke tooling created for the vessel, close control is being maintained throughout the production process with regular checks, weighing and measurements carried out at all stages of the build process to guarantee continuing conformity to the standard design.Deck equipment
VHF
Plotter
Steering system
Foot throttle
Gear shift
Instruments
Compass
Trailer
Recreational craft directive
Boats between 2.5m and 24m in length must conform to the RCD in order to be sold and used in Europe (and a growing list of non-EU countries). Race boats are typically excluded from the RCD requirement but, as the RIB will be used for cruising too, Powerboat P1 has elected to have the vessel assessed and verified so that it can carry the CE mark to further enhance its credibility.
